The present disclosure relates generally to information handling systems, and more particularly to providing a link between information handling systems.
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems such as, for example, control bridges or other networking devices, may be connected together in various arrangements using a variety of protocols to allow for aggregating more than one distinct division of a network such as, for example, a domain, a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN), etc. To aggregate multiple distinct divisions of the network, a first control bridge coupled to a first division of the network typically includes a first plurality of ports that are connected to nodes of the first division, and a second plurality of ports that are connected to a second control bridge that is similarly connected to a second division of the network. In some situations, port extension technology such as, for example, port extenders, may be provided with the control bridges to help increase the effective number of ports available to each control bridge. In situations where port extenders are provided with control bridges, it may be desirable to cluster the control bridges to provide a single, logical control bridge (made up of each of the clustered control bridges) that utilizes the ports on the port extender. Conventionally, such clustering of control bridges requires an administrator to manually provision a link between the control bridges in order to allow those control bridges to operate as a single, logical control bridge. Such manual provisioning by the administrator is time consuming and may be subject to error, particularly when a relatively large number of control bridges are clustered.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved link provisioning system.